POST AND TELEGRAPHS

Lake County Press, Issue 979, 12 September 1901, Page 2

POST AND TELEGRAPHS

SUCCESS OF PENNY POSTAGE ASSURED. SIXPENNY WIRES A BOON. THE FRISCO SERVICE IN DISFAVOR. [From the Evening Star's Correspondent.] WELLINGTON, September 5. The complaint that lias been raised by members of the absence of departmental reports necessary to enable the finances to he completely discussed is in a fair way of removal. Yesterday the Railways and Lands Statements were presented to the House, and this afternoon the PostmasterGeneral brought down the Post and Telegraph Departmental Report for the year ended March 51 last. The report begins with the declaration that the year will he a memorable one in the department, on account of the introduction by New Zealand of the universal penny post —the first universal pennv post to he introduced by any country in the world. Since sixpenny telegrams were introduced four years ago the value of paid telegrams hits risen by 29.68 per cent., which is a sure indication of the success of another of Sir Joseph Ward's reforms. the sixpenny telegram. A further most gratifying result is that the balance of expenditure over revenue on the telegraph side, which two years ago was nearly £30.000. has fallen'to £8,036 for 1900. The postal work also continues to show a steady and satisfactory increase, making due allowance for the loss on the penny post for the first three months of 1901. The revenue of both branches for the year exceeded that of the previous period by £15.590. the rate of increase being 3.19 per cent., while the expenditure increased by £27.823, or 7.15 per cent. Adding the value of the free official correspondence and Government telegrams, there is a credit hallance on the year’s transactions 0f_£203,129. The letters posted totalled 56.185.045. equal to 47.39 letters to each head of the population, or an increase of 1.152,59 a. The number of forwarded telegrams of all codes was 3,898.128. an increase of 428,497. The deposits in the Post Office Savings Ranks amounted to £4.170.428. and the withdrawals to £5.827,416. There was to the credit of depositors on 51st December last £5,809.552. as compared with £5.520,570 at the close of the previous year. There were 8,210 telephone exchanges’ connections on March 31. and the subscriptions received amounted to £49,117. The total staff numbered 5,715 (of whom 2.016 were classified), an increase of 272 hands.

Naturally much space in the report is devoted to the introduction of penny postage—an "important and memorable event" in the postal nrogress of the colony. It is stated that, although few foreign countries have been able to adopt a reciprocal penny rate, a large number have agreed to accept and deliver our penny letters without surcharge, and only wait the next gathering of the Postal Union in the hope that an agreement may be come to as to the general adoption of penny postage. France, the United States, and other important countries, while unable to accept the penny rate, have evinced niculi sympathy, and the (Jerman Imperial Post < Mice, to which many notable postal reforms are due. while not definitely committing itself to any course of action at the next Postal Union Congress, has written in such terms as to give little reason to doubt that it will support a proposal to introduce a universal penny post throughout the Postal Union. The British Imperial Post Office has throughout been generously helpful, and has evinced much interest in the result of the negotiations now going on. The department expresses its satisfaction with the replies from foreign countries, and especially with the strong indication that prominence will be given the question of universal penny postage at the ensuin" Postal Union Congress, to be held in Pome in 1902 or 1903. The adoption of the penny post bv the colonv was estimated to involve a loss of £BO,OOO. The latest " counting."' which was made last month, indicates that the yearly increase of paid letters posted was at the rate of about ten millions over the number posted last, year, and the net postage loss about £43,591. This (remarks the Postmaster-Ceneral, with natural satisfaction) is a surprising result, and the fact may be accepted as additional proof of the generous appreciation of the penny post and the unexampled and sus tained prosperity throughout the colony. It also affords good reason to believe that the total loss following the introduction of this great reform will very soon lie made up. Doubtless Hay was finally selected as the landing place in New Zealand for the Pacific cable. Plans have been prepared for the necessary buildings for offices ami staff quarters, and everything should be in readiness for the landing of the cable by April next. It is expected that the cable will be laid about the end of next year. On the question of ocean mail services we aic told that accident, after accident to the machinery of the new vessels of the Spreckels Company have involved the company in very considerable expense on account of repairs and delays, and are at the same time destroying the good name the San Francisco route had for punctuality. The service is not now looked upon with that favor it formerly was, especially by business people in Great Britain. Instead of the three-weekly mail under an accelerated time-table diverting mail matter from the Federal service, as it should have done, an increased quantity of correspondence for months past is being regularly received by the Jirindisi and Naples routes. Papers to be submitted to Parliament will show that any contract entered into by this colony can only apply to the outward service, the inward service and the departure of the vessels, from Sun

Francisco being completely regulated by the United States Post Office. Mr Spreckels is so satisfied with the strengthening of the Oceanic Company’s vessels’ machinery that he has submitted proposals for a five-years’ contract. These are under consideration, and in due course will he laid before the House of Representatives on the question of the continuation of the service coming up for consideration. It mav he mentioned, however (the Post-master-General observes) that the colony is now paying at the rate of £17,000 a year for the use of the service for the transport of its outward mails. Up to the present time there is no indication that Australia will subsidise the service. New .Smith Wales, which formerly paid £4.000 a year to the four-weekly service, is paying a minimum poundage rate of 2s for letters and of 4s 6d per cwt for other matter. The irregular running of the Sau Francisco steamers lias necessitated special arrangements for connecting with the outward Federal mails at Sydney and Melbourne. The average time within which mails were delivered by the San Francisco service was from Auckland to London 50.85 days ■ (sic), as against 30.85 days in 1899. and from London to Auckland 57.71 days, as compared with 31.54 days iu the previous year. The shortest delivery was made in thirty days. The average time from London to Auckland by the I’, and O. line was 39.58 days, and by the Orient line 39.15 days. The increased frequency of the San Francisco service necessitated an arrangement of the coastal service at an additional cost of about £I,OOO a vear.

The total value of the telegraph and telephone business for the year (including Government telegrams and miscellaneous telegraph receipts) was £222,505, as compart? with £192.376 for the previous twelve months, being an increase of £29,929, or 15.56 per cent. The number of telegrams of all codes fowarded was 5,898,128. an increase of 428.497. or 12.35 per cent, over 1899-1900. Increases are shown in ordinary, urgent. Government, press, and bureau messages. There were 7.249 miles of line and 20,682 miles of wire at the close of the year, an increase of 329 and 1,454 miles respectively. The net expenditure for telegraph extension was £50,100, as compared with £26.771 in 1899-1900. Of 991 telegraph and telephone offices open at the close of the year, 237 were telegraph and 754 telephone offices. The subscribers or connections to the telephone exchanges increased during the year from 7.150 to 8,210, while the subscriptions amounted to £49,117. being an increase of £5.818. The working expenses and 5 per cent, interest on capital cost for the vear amounted to £45.349.